Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Pushed Back Into September

    ‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Pushed Back Into September

    It has been a long wait for any news regarding the first cinematic entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Spider-Man: Far From Home. The news has finally dropped that the film will release in July. Now, what makes it stand out, even more, is that this means Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has to find a new release date. THR can confirm it will now release September 3rd rather than its original July release date. There is no mention of Eternals. So, it seems likely that the film will keep its November slot.

    The direction is an interesting surprise, as we feared they would postpone every single release into the next slot. It looks like they aren’t interested in pushing it back any further. It makes sense, as their focus will be to promote Black Widow‘s upcoming release on Disney+ and give the other films some breathing room to develop. It is uncertain if Shang-Chi will also be getting a release on Disney+, but they might be waiting out how things develop before finalizing that decision.

    Here’s hoping that things will start to slowly come together and we are facing a better future for cinemas. Disney still believes in its development, as many other delays have been mapped out for other releases. The fact they are sticking with Eternals release is a motivating decision, as it confirms they do believe things will have calmed down by then. Still, only time will tell, but we at least finally get to see Black Widow after more than a year of wait in July.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Is Disney+’s Most Watched Premiere Ever

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Is Disney+’s Most Watched Premiere Ever

    Streaming services are commonly very shy about sharing any insight into their viewer numbers. It made us dependent on what external analysts can figure out based on Social Media buzz and external data sources. Well, it looks like Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have broken a record, as Disney+ has officially shared the news that its second Marvel Studios show has beat out The Mandalorian and WandaVision‘s debut numbers. They have announced that the debut series didn’t just have the biggest premiere, but is also their most watched title worldwide.

    Of course, they didn’t provide any numbers. According to Deadline, they have only mentioned that Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and the second season of The Mandalorian are their top three most-watched weekend premieres. It would be interesting to know what they are measuring that and if they also evaluate the drop-off between episodes.

    Unlike cinemas, we have no public data to really confirm or evaluate its validity. Still, it shows how much anticipation there was for the series’ more action-focused series. According to Nielsen, WandaVision was watched around 6.5 million times in America, which was the only data point we had for its opening weekend. It was ranked sixth amongst all shows. Its weekly release strategy would then pay-off as later episodes would give the series the top spot. It showcased how binge shows only have a temporary increase before trailing off unlike these series continuing to grow their audience over time. It’ll be interesting to see how much Falcon and the Winter Soldier grows over its six-week runtime.

    Source: Deadline, Forbes

  • Why ‘Vision Quest’ Would Be The Perfect ‘WandaVision’ Spin-Off

    Why ‘Vision Quest’ Would Be The Perfect ‘WandaVision’ Spin-Off

    Earlier today, it got revealed that Marvel Studios is starting to develop spin-offs for their various Disney+ shows. Hawkeye hasn’t even aired, but the newly introduced character Echo is already getting her series. Of course, this makes you wonder what other characters may potentially get a continuation on the streaming platform. Well, the more I thought about it, I came to realize that WandaVision offers a jumping-off point for a classic storyline that barely even gets scratched in the series. As such, we might see a series inspired by the title of the 1989 comic-run, Vision Quest. It would follow White Vision’s travel of accepting his true identity after the finale.

     

    Episode 290 - Back to the Future? , Star Wars and GOT, Jupiter's Legacy (Netflix) and WandaVision (almost done) - Podcast4Scifi

     

    The original storyline by John Byrne introduced a kidnapped and memory-wiped version of the Synthezoid. It was the storyline where the true identity of their children got revealed. We covered this aspect in the first released series by Marvel Studios. So, the upcoming series would pick up after the bout of philosophy. After discussing the classic philosophy of the Boat of Theseus, the two distinct versions of Vision start to bond over their existence. In a way, the version that Wanda created through her grief shares his memories with White Vision, and he declares: “I am Vision” before jetting off into the sky.

    The spin-off would take place directly afterward. We see White Vision waking up anew in an unknown world. Even with his memories restored, he is uncertain what to make of his existence, so he sets out to retrace his steps. He travels the world realizing how much has changed. It creates a disconnect between the memories he has and his urge to feel a connection with them. Sokovia is just a crater, but he isn’t there for the former city. Vision visits the forest where he had his last confrontation with his creator, Ultron. He starts to retrace his steps and recovers the bot that got left behind at that time. Only remnants are left, but it reveals that Ultron was still active in the empty shell.

     

     

    Avengers: Did Vision Actually Kill Ultron In Age of Ultron?

     

    Together, they start to travel the world as they discuss the two opposing views of where the world is heading. They travel to New York City, where they see the former Avengers Tower in its new design from Spider-Man: Far From Home. They both start questioning how much the world has changed and if they can find a home in it. Unlike other series, his story is more of a philosophical discussion on his existence. The conflict with Ultron comes from him questioning if Vision even is a personality. Unlike his WandaVision counterpart, he is trying to find the emotions hidden within the memories he has made. He ends up forming a bond with the remnant of Ultron as they start to uncover their humanity through each other’s company. If Marvel Studios really needs a villain, they could include Hayward trying to regain his former possession. Yet, I believe that this series doesn’t have to run for long, but would be a perfect short intermission before Vision makes his next major appearance.

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Spin-Off Focused on Echo In Development for Disney+

    ‘Hawkeye’ Spin-Off Focused on Echo In Development for Disney+

    It looks like Marvel Studios is already planning some spin-offs for their major series well in advance. In a recent exclusive by variety, they have unveiled that Marvel Studios is already developing a series that focuses on Echo. The character will be first introduced in the upcoming Hawkeye series. Alaqua Cox has been cast in the role of the deaf Native American, Maya Lopez, who might have a bigger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward than we first expected. It seems that they also have already found their writers, as Etan Cohen and Emily Cohen are attached. Of course, Marvel Studios will return to produce the series.

    Now, this is interesting as it opens up the floodgates to many other characters introduced on Disney+ getting their own series at one point. It also means that Marvel Studios has some big plans for the character. We don’t know how large her role will be in the upcoming Disney+ series. Of course, the knowledge of her spin-off makes us keep an even closer eye once Hawkeye premieres, as we will see how its ending might keep the door open for her story to continue upon.

    It’s a great surprise, to say the least, and I cannot wait to see what other spin-offs might be in some form of development moving forward. The MCU will continue to grow from here and it is obvious that a lot of fate has been put into the development of their long-form storytelling.

    Source: Variety

     

  • ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’: How Disney+ Is Changing Marvel’s Storytelling

    ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’: How Disney+ Is Changing Marvel’s Storytelling

    Only two weeks ago, WandaVision kickstarted a new direction for Marvel Studios on Disney+. They are now taking their time to explore those characters that never got a chance to shine on the silver screen. At the same time, it allows these heroes to face the biggest challenges that got sidelined by alien invasions or secret organizations taking over the world. Wanda was making breakfast for dinner while turning an entire city into her physical shape of denial. The tradition continues with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where we get a closer look at the lives that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes face in a world post-Captain America.

     

    The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 1 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained

     

    We get a good look at Sam’s private and superhero life throughout the episode. Even if he saved the entire galaxy, he can’t afford to keep his family’s business alive. The small glimpses we got during Avengers: Age of Ultron are at the forefront of these stories. Disney+ allows them to spread out their tales. Even if the world’s future is at stake, we still get the time to explore times in these superheroes’ lives that seemed secondary. Even if the show is about the legacy left behind by Steve Rogers, it really is about people trying to find their identity in the world. Are we more than what the people believe us to be?

    Bucky is the perfect example. He spent almost 90 years frozen. Only to see the world as a mindless assassin killing innocent lives. Now, he was brought back from that life but is having a hard time coping. Not only does his story work as a parallel to real-world issues with soldier’s PTSD, but it also gives us a moment to explore his time facing that past. He is going to therapy sessions and even tries his luck with a date. His guilt sadly takes over, but we get a brief window into his life.

     

    Bucky, Sam in Couples Therapy in Falcon and Winter Soldier Trailer | The Mary Sue

     

    In a way, Disney+’s offerings mix-up what we usually expect from Marvel. We do miss the spectacle on the silver screen. Yet, it feels like these somber moments of real-life would only really work through these smaller stories. It makes sense that Ms. Marvel or She-Hulk are going to take an episodic direction, as their private and professional life is what defines them. We get to spend some time as they balance their heroic life with their everyday existence. The franchise can echo what the Spider-Man films have tried to balance in a limited runtime. It’ll be interesting to see how the future episodes continue down this path set-up by the premiere episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

  • Andrew Garfield’s Stunt Double Leaked His Involvement ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Andrew Garfield’s Stunt Double Leaked His Involvement ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Spider-Man: No Way Home has been an odd project to follow. There are so many secrets surrounding the project that it is uncertain what is even true anymore. Charlie Cox will return in the role he made famous in Netflix’s Daredevil series. Even Willem Dafoe was seen on set. There was also that Paramount tweet that seemed to confirm the involvement of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the upcoming film. To this day, nothing has ever been confirmed beyond the film’s title. Well, it seems that some more hints have been placed on their involvement, as Twitter user @spideyupdated shared some Instagram posts by Andrew Garfield‘s stunt double William Spencer. In them, we can clearly see him with Tom Holland’s own stunt double, Greg Townley.

    As you can see, he has deleted them by now, but he has been very active in sharing his enthusiasm for being on the set of the Spider-Man threequel. At this point, we are only waiting for a confirmation that past incarnations of Spider-Man will make an appearance. There have been too many hints at their involvement to some capacity. Still, the film won’t release until December. So, we might have to wait a little longer, especially if we face any potential delays. Marvel Studios and Disney still haven’t advertised Black Widow, which is supposed to hit theaters at the beginning of May. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out if there are any more hints at their involvement in the film.

    Source: Twitter

  • Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offered Further Details on Roadmap and Future Changes

    Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offered Further Details on Roadmap and Future Changes

    In the latest Marvel’s Avengers developer stream, we are heading into a new direction for the game. Crystal Dynamics has revealed that they are going to change their approach moving forward. We will see more information on future updates in these streams, which is a great revelation. They want to offer more insight moving forward and determine the game’s future development. So, without further ado, let’s get into the long list of updates heading our way.

     

    General

    • In the future, patches will be explained better and in more detail. Context is necessary, as CD learned with the XP update.
    • They are aware of the issues, such as the Villain Sector bug, platinum trophy, and more.
    • You will no longer be able to one-shot bosses in the future. They are looking into adding new challenges moving forward.
    • Spider-Man is still in development.

    Omega-Level Threats

    • They understand it is way past due to getting released. The core issue did not connect to the actual content. As such, CD worked on multiple OTLs simultaneously.
    • You can expect quite a few of them to release in a shorter time frame once the first is finally released.
    • Their goal is that you are facing a villain and challenge that is “bigger than life.” The longer they work on it, the better they are nailing it.
    • Matchmaking will see incremental changes with each new patch update.
    • They confirm that a lot more in development, which didn’t get included in the roadmap for now.

     

    Marvel's Avengers video game should stop trying to be Destiny

     

    Marvel’s Avengers 2.0

    • We got quite a few more details on the content’s future showcase that will rehaul ger and the progression system. In general, Gear 2.0 will affect many different elements.
    • The core of their goal is to offer more “meaningful customization” on different levels. It will affect your gameplay and how you build your characters.
    • Once you find the gear you like, you will be able to hold on to it much longer. CD wants to integrate a way to add new options or even adapt existing ones.
    • It will all connect to the 50-Level Cap. Their goal is to allow the customization options to come to fruition once you go beyond the limitation.
    • They also confirmed that collecting comics will have an impact on this new system. So, be sure to continue collecting them moving forward.

     

    Tachyon Anamoly

    • It’s a two-week event that consists of multiple parts.
    • The main addition is that you can play multiple heroes, such as four Hulks at the same time.
    • Player feedback is essential. So, if players enjoy it, they will continue to bring it back as a recurring event or even make it a permanent addition.
    • It includes new Daily and Weekly Missions. You will be able to win Animated Nameplates throughout the event.
    • We will also get a brand new Tachyon Mission. It’ll become a more frequent event.

     

    Kate Bishop is Taking AIM | Woodward Sports Network

     

    Red Room Takeover

    • It is in celebration of Black Widow’s film. You can unlock some more Animated Nameplates with new Red Room-inspired missions.
    • CD teased a lot of lore as we explore Natasha’s history with Yelena Belova. She hid chips in various enemies, which you need to uncover.
    • The Red Room-inspired HARM challenges are an additional part. These will be the escape challenges and will even affect the Main Screen. So, expect some new visual flourishes.
    • They once again confirmed we’ll get the first Marvel Cinematic Universe with this event. They also confirmed that the word “inspired” shouldn’t be taken too literally. They are adapting the iconic outfits.
    • If Black Widow gets postponed, it will not directly affect their release plans.

     

    Cosmic Cube

    • It takes place directly after Future Imperfect. It builds on the storyline that got introduced at the end of that mission.
    • You will be fighting her clone army. Her design is also how they want to approach Villain Sectors moving forward. They want there to be a big focus on making them bigger and crazier. The tease for future content seems promising.

     

    Wasteland Patrol

    • It will introduce the new Patrol Mode mission, which is a massive area you can roam freely. There is no mission or specific goal. So, you can have as much fun as you want with it.
    • CD has teased that there will be some curious secrets to uncover in this new mission style.
    • Once again, if this is popular, they will expand upon it and add it to other regions moving forward.

     

    Black Panther is coming to 'Marvel's Avengers' later this year | Engadget

     

    Black Panther Expansion

    • It will be their largest content drop since the launch.
    • Klaw will be closer to his comic form. So, don’t expect him to be like Andy Serkis‘ interpretation. He is one of the multiple villains that’ll get included in the update.
    • There will be new enemy types that are part of Klaw’s faction.
    • Voice actors will get announced in the future once we are near the release.
    • The new Biome is called the Wakandan Jungle, but you can expect a lot more diversity with it. They teased some cool interiors.
    • They also aim to continue to raise the stakes of the challenges. It will release the most challenging content they have ever developed.

    It certainly sounds like it’ll be a big year moving forward. Even if Black Panther is still some time down the line, it seems that we won’t be waiting without anything new moving forward.

    Source: Twitch

  • Josh Stamberg Teases a Future for ‘WandaVision’s Tyler Hayward

    Josh Stamberg Teases a Future for ‘WandaVision’s Tyler Hayward

    Falcon and the Winter Soldier has just released its premiere episode and we are still finding out new things about its predecessor, WandaVision. The show kicked off Marvel Studios’ new direction into long-form storytelling and introduced the world to new and familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The newest member of the ever-expanding franchise was Josh Stamberg‘s Tyler Hayward. He wasn’t the most liked character throughout the nine-episode run, especially when he started getting weirdly obsessed with killing Wanda. It seems that was part of the plan, as revealed by an actor in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

    What can we do to keep him from just being mustache twirly? And I liked that, at least for an episode and a half, there got to be some quote-unquote charm or some likability before it sort of descends into this guy who’s so hungry to run the universe.

    It’s kind of interesting how he phrases that sentence, but the actor goes on to reveal he would be “a little surprised” if he doesn’t end up returning in a later entry. His story did feel rather open-ended, as we never found out his full motivation. He just seemed to have an obsession with superheroes. In a way, his intentions were good, as Wanda did go too far by controlling an entire town against their will. He got arrested at the end of the season and it feels like they might still have some plans with the character. Hopefully, a future show or even season could offer some much-needed character development that offers an insight into why he was so obsessed at the time. It would be interesting if the “run the universe” line is even a hint at him possibly having a connection to the upcoming Secret Invasions show.

    Source: Entertainment Tonight via The Direct

  • More Details Surface for ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Roadmap

    More Details Surface for ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Roadmap

    It looks like we have only scratched the surface of where Marvel’s Avengers is heading. In today’s Square-Enix Presents event, we got a showcase of the game’s new Hawkeye DLC. Suddenly, they threw in various new showcases of upcoming additions to the game. It was odd that the actual roadmap only got briefly highlighted for a few seconds. It seemed like the big selling point of the stream was our first look at Black Panther. It looks like Crystal Dynamics has also welcomed journalists and influencers to join them in advance, where they revealed some more information on what you can expect from the game. Here’s a quick overview of the details that weren’t covered:

     

    Image

     

    • In the latest update, there is a new Epic Artifact titled Void Tech Transponder. It allows you to summon Dr. Hank Pym. Yes, you read that right. We are getting Final Fantasy-style Summons,w which is hopefully going to get expanded on.
    • Each Avengers has a unique animation for petting Lucky the Pizza Dog. It’s not relevant, but I love it.
    • Animated Nameplates are in development for some additional flair.
    • Tachyon Anomaly will be temporarily available. It will apply to all mission times on the Initiative. It will also offer daily and weekly rewards if you join teams o the same heroes, and it will introduce new Tachyon Rift missions on the Eastern Seaboard.

     

    Marvel's Avengers: 2021 Roadmap Revealed, Includes Black Panther, MCU Tie-Ins and More - eSports Smarties

     

    • Red Room Takeover takes inspiration from the upcoming Black Widow film. Yelena Belova placed surveillance chips in Aimbots, and you have to retrieve them. If you manage to find the source, you can unlock a special mission to “settle the score.” Multiple versions will be available throughout the event, which let you earn cosmetics and unique nameplates. It will act like an Escape Gauntlet.
    • According to Forbes, the Red Room Takeover is also when they plan to release Marvel Cinematic Universe skins. It’s a perfect time to promote the game with skins inspired by the film.
    • Cosmic Cube is a direct sequel to Hawkeye’s Future Imperfect storyline. Monica Rappaccini is creating a Cosmic Cube in a secret AIM lab in the Frozen Tundra. It was promised as a new experience that involves the techno-advanced clone-army of Monica.

     

    Black Panther coming to Marvel's Avengers game in War for Wakanda expansion - CNET

    • The Wasteland Patrol will unlock a large map in Hawkeye’s Wasteland. Enemies and activities will continue to spawn, and you have no set objective. So, you can engage with enemies however you please.
    • The Omega Level Threat Missions seem to be eyeing a Summer release. That is at least stated according to IGN, while others keep that date open. If you consider the roadmap, it isn’t slated with a specific date. So, it’ll be released once it is ready. “Resolution” will be the Super Adaptoid map, which offers unique green glowing gear for players.
    • War for Wakanda will be a full-on expansion, so expect the biggest update since launch. Of course, they highlighted it is still free, as all content promised for the game. Wakanda will feature new areas, puzzles, and a lot more.
    • Spider-Man is still in active development, but could not offer any information on his timeline.

    In this early showcase, CD’s studio head Scot Amos opened up about changing their philosophy moving forward. They aim to be more transparent and highlight how they’ve learned from the past months adjusting to the current climate. They are fully committed to the game and promise that the story will continue with frequent updates. In an interview with Gamespot, he had the following to say about the game’s future handling and confirming the game is finally at a point that it can start focusing on putting out content:

    It is building the blocks and putting it in place. And that’s partly our learnings from how we launched in September and saying, “Oh my God, like we gotta get these other things.” Because if you have a shaky foundation, it’s terrible. So being able to build up to where we are now, with our extra platforms coming [with] PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, now we feel like we have a stable base with all these things in there that we can build on top of.

    It seems they understand the underlying issues, and their work on Loot 2.0 alongside exploring options beyond a heroes level cap will be essential moving forward. They are committed to more transparency, which we got a glimpse of during the build-up to Clint’s release. As the roadmap reveals showcased, it is a steep learning curve. A lot of information is available, but only if you know where to look for it. Even with the recent announcement, you have to look through various outlets and Social accounts to get a complete picture. The year has only begun for Marvel’s Avengers, and I cannot wait to see them roll out these events in the coming months.

    Source: IGN, Forbes, YouTube (Kinda Funny Games), Gamespot, YouTube (BobDuckNWeave), YouTube (BobDuckNWeave Events)

  • HBO Developing Three More ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs

    HBO Developing Three More ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs

    It looks like HBO is slowly pushing out their various future spin-offs, as they have just unveiled three more projects that are in development. We are still anxiously waiting for the first pictures of House of the Dragon, but that isn’t stopping the network from rolling out more. They already announced they are working on a series based on Dunk and Egg. It follows the tales of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, who would eventually become King Aegon V Targaryen.

    Rome creator Bruno Heller will be working on a project title 9 Voyages. It follows Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is better known as The Sea Snake. He will also appear in the before-mentioned House of the Dragon spin-off played by Steve Toussaint. It is interesting to see them already focus on a character from a series that hasn’t even entered production, so they have a lot of hope in it. 10,000 Ships will focus on the warrior Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell and founded Dorne. It takes place 1,000 years before the events of the original HBO series. Alongside it, an unnamed third project will focus on King’s Landing slums, Flea Bottom.

    So far, only 9 Voyages seem to be anywhere close to pre-production. So, we might not see the rest until much later. I like that they are approaching these franchises based upon the history of Westeros. HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys also confirms that they aren’t trying to rush out these productions. They want to explore stories that they want to tell and evaluating which would be the best to adapt. Westeros has a lot of unexplored history. So, it makes sense and offers a lot of curious opportunities for future franchises.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter